Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Alabama Arts Podcast , Jacky Jack White


In honor of musician Jacky Jack White receiving a 2010 Alabama State Council on the Arts Fellowship award, this program is a rebroadcast of Joey Brackner interviewing Jacky Jack White of the Sucarnochee Revue.  The Revue, a performance series of southern music is performed at Bibb Graves Auditorium on the campus of the  University of West Alabama  and broadcast throughout the region via radio. interviewing Jacky Jack White of the

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio podcast Henry Glassie


This is a rebroadcast of Joey Brackner interviewing renowned folklorist Henry Glassie in honor of Dr Glassie winning the prestigious Haskins Prize for lifetime achievement. In this program Glassie discusses his life and research of vernacular architecture in the Southern United States, and particularly in Alabama. 

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, Christmas Music from Alabama Musicians

This week's program features Christmas songs selected from the Fretted Instruments Christmas CDs. For the past six years Herb Trotman, Wayne Anderson, and numerous Alabama musicians have put together CDs of Christmas music which are distributed each year at Fretted Instruments, Trotman's music store in Homewood.  The project involves what Herb calls "the Large and Amorphous Group", made up of area bands and musicians who record Christmas music especially for each year's CD. The songs include traditional carols, original songs such as Christmas in Alabama and Empty Stocking Blues, and popular favorites like White Christmas and The Christmas Song.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Alabama Arts Podcast,, Musician Herb Trotman

This week Deborah Boykin interviews Birmingham musician Herb Trotman, who talks about banjo playing and tells stories from three decades of performing old time and bluegrass music in Alabama.

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, Joe Watts and Colette Boehm of the Alabama Scenic Byways Program

In this program Joey Brackner interviews Joe Watts of the Alabama Scenic Byways Program   and Colette Boehm of Alabama's Coastal Connection.  Alabama's Coastal Connection has just been named a national byway by the National Scenic Byways Program.

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Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, Charlie Lucas and Chip Cooper

In this program Joey Brackner interviews Charlie Lucas and Chip Cooper about the new book Tinman published by the University of Alabama Press. Tinman features a narrative by Charlie Lucas, edited by Ben Windham, and beautiful photography of Lucas' work by Chip Cooper.

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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, Ernestine Robinson Directory of the Plantation Heirs

Steve Grauberger interviews Auburn native Ernestine Hill Robinson about her life as a singer and the director of the a cappella Negro spiritual singing group, The Plantation Heirs. Musical example are included in the program.

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Alabama Arts Podcast, Susan Perry and Fred Fussell

Joey Brackner interviews Susan Perry of the Alabama Humanities Foundation and researcher Fred Fussell about the exhibit New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music.

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Alabama Arts Podcast, Andrew Freear Director of the Rural Studio

Deborah Boykin interviews Andrew Freear, director of The Rural Studio, a project of Auburn University's School of Architecture. He discusses how this community-based program enables students to learn through projects that ultimately provide affordable homes and public spaces in rural West Alabama.

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Alabama Arts Podcast, Gospel Songwriter Ezra Knight

Steve Grauberger interviews gospel songwriter and music teacher Ezra "Buddy" Knight about his career as a singing school and piano teacher, gospel songwriter, editor and distributor for the Stamp/Baxter Music Company, a major publisher of shapenote convention songbooks.

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Alabama Arts Podcast, Buddy Palmer CEO of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Birmingham

Joey Brackner interviews Buddy Palmer, President and CEO of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Birmingham.

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Alabama Arts Podcast , Bobby Horton

This is a rebroadcast of Joey Brackner interviewing Alabama's curator of historic song - Bobby Horton.  Best known for his CDs of Civil War era music and membership in the popular band Three On a String, Mr. Horton also discusses his family's musical heritage and his work composing songs for numerous Ken Burns' documentary films. Bobby Horton was a recipient of a 2005 Governor's Arts Award.

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Alabama Arts Podcast , Dr. Thomas Bice

For this program, Diana Green interviews our Deputy State Superintendent of Education Instructional Services, Dr. Thomas Bice. Dr. Bice talks about the need for school reform and how the arts may play a role. Evident in the discussion is Dr. Bice’s passion for reaching all of Alabama’s students by asking adults to start thinking outside the box. His premise: “Adults can fix this problem!”

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Alabama Arts Podcast, Curtis Long, and Meaghan Heinrich

For this week's program Joey Brackner interviews Curtis Long, Executive Director  and Meaghan Heinrich, Education Manager of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.

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Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, Alabama Author Rick Bragg

Council Executive Director Al Head interviews renowned Alabama author Rick Bragg about his upbringing in Alabama and his writing career. They discuss Bragg's books, All Over But the Shoutin', Ava's Man, The Prince of Frogtown, and his yet unnamed, upcoming novel of essays built around stories of mill workers at the now defunct Union Yarn Mill in Jacksonville Alabama.

Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, Richard Metzger of the Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Complex in Troy, Alabama

Georgine Clarke, Visual Arts Program Manager for the Alabama State Council on the Arts, interviews Richard Metzger, Executive Director of the Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Complex in Troy, Alabama. He explains how the exhibition space was created in a historic Post Office and describes the programs. The discussion features the current exhibition "Celebrating Contemporary Art in Alabama: The Importance of Being Southern." This presentation includes works by 41 artists who have received Individual Artist Fellowships from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Works range from photography, painting, sculpture and printmaking to hot glass, ironwork, ceramics and quilts. The exhibition marks the first time such an exhibition has been mounted in Alabama.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio podcast 2009 National Heritage Fellows The Birmingham Sunlights

In this program Steve Grauberger interviews James Alex Taylor and Barry Taylor, two of the five members of the gospel a cappella group the Birmingham Sunlights. This September 22nd the Birmingham Sunlights will receive a National Heritage Fellowship for master folk and traditional artists in a ceremony in Washington D. C. from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). On the 24th of September they will preform at the 2009 NEA National Heritage Fellowships Concert. In this interview James and Barry describe the history of their group, its members and the travels they have experienced singing and representing Alabama in Africa, France, Italy and the United States. Examples of their singing are presented as well.

Friday, September 04, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, Kelly Barsdate, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies

In this program Barbara Edwards interviews Kelly Barsdate. Ms. Barsdate is the Chief Program and Planning Officer for the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies in Washingon, DC. She was a presenter at the Council’s 2009 Bill Bates Leadership Institute and discusses some of the topics she advanced at the Institute concerning Arts Participation.

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Sunday, August 30, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio Podcast, Alabama Humanities Foundations Director Bob Stewart

Joey Brackner interviews Robert Stewart, Director of the Alabama Humanities Foundation, about the AHF mission and their programs including SUPER, the speakers bureau and grants to organizations.

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Saturday, August 22, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio Podcast

Bluegrass musician David Davis talks with Deborah Boykin about his musical influences, including shapenote singing, Charlie Louvin, and his uncle, Cleo Davis, one of Bill Monroe's original Bluegrass Boys. He also discusses his experiences as leader of the Warrior River Boys, one of Alabama's most prominent bluegrass bands. The program includes music from their latest CD, Two Dimes and a Nickle.
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Friday, August 14, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio podcast for August 16, Wanda Robertson

This week Anne Kimzey, folklorist with the Alabama State Council on the Arts, interviews quilter Wanda Robertson of Florence about teaching quilt making in the Alabama Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program. Two of her students also discuss their experiences during the program.
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Alabama Arts Radio podcast for August 9th Bill Ivey

This program is a rebroadcast of Arts Council Executive Director Al Head interviewing Bill Ivey, Director of the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University. Subjects discussed are Ivey's background as past head of the National Endowment for the Arts, his involvement with the Curb Center and issues concerning Ivey's book published last year, arts, inc.: How Greed and Neglect Have Destroyed Our Cultural Rights.
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Alabama Arts Radio podcast for August 2nd

This week Anne Kimzey, folklorist with the Alabama State Council on the Arts, interviews jazz and blues musician and bandleader Theodore Arthur, Jr., of Mobile about his music career and his recent tour of Europe and the Middle East. Several of his music students join him during the program.
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Alabama Arts Radio podcast for July 26th

George Devours, musician and promoter talks with Deborah Boykin about the Blackwater Bluegrass Festival and his experiences in bluegrass music, including the Brushy Creek festivals of the 1970's and his friendship with bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs.
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Alabama Arts Radio podcast for July 19th

Arts in Education Program Manager, Diana Green interviews Foster Dixon, creative writing instructor at Booker T. Washington Magnet High School in Montgomery, Alabama. Mr. Dixon was named a 2009 Surdna Foundation Arts Teaching Fellow. During this interview he explains his proposed project for which he won the fellowship.

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Sunday, July 12, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio Podcast for July 12, Heirloom Sewing Marth Pullen

Heirloom sewing is the subject of this week’s program on Alabama Arts Radio. Folklorist Anne Kimzey interviews Martha Pullen of Huntsville, an internationally-known sewing teacher, author, publisher and host of public television’s popular show Martha’s Sewing Room.

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Alabama Arts Radio Podcast for July 5th, Kathryn Tucker Windham

Joey Brackner interviews Kathryn Tucker Windham at her home in Selma about homecomings, unique graveyards and unusual grave stones.
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Sunday, June 28, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio Podcast for June 30th

Jeanie Thompson, executive director of the Alabama Writers’ Forum, interviews poet and editor Sebastian Matthews, who appeared at the April 18 Alabama Book Festival. Matthews is the author of the poetry collection We Generous (Red Hen Press) and a memoir about his poet father, the late William Matthews, In My Father’s Footsteps. He co-edited, with Stanley Plumly, Search Party: Collected Poems of William Matthews. Matthews teaches at Warren Wilson College and serves on the faculty at Queens College Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing. His poetry and prose has appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, The Georgia Review, and on The Writer’s Almanac, among others. Matthews co-edits Rivendell, a place-based literary journal, and serves as poetry consultant for Ecotone: Re-Imagining Place.

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Sunday, June 21, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio podcast for June 23rd Blue Note Five

Steve Grauberger interviews Eric Newby, Thomas Kelly, Gerald Johnson, Charles Draper and Willie Jordan of the Huntsville Police Department's Blue Note Five a cappella quartet (quintet) group. Selections from their CD are included.

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Alabama Arts Radio podcast for June 16th Fred Kuwornu Filmmaker

The Alabama State Council on the Arts sponsored a cultural exchange program with the City of Pietrasanta, Italy April 16-May 2. Barbara Edwards, Deputy Director, interviews Fred Kuwornu, an Italian filmmaker. Mr. Kuwornu wrote and directed a historical documentary entitled "Inside Buffalo." This documentary uncovers the historical and human events of the 92nd Division of the American Army, nicknamed Buffalo Soldiers. During the cultural exchange this documentary had its premiere screening at the Capri Theatre in Montgomery.

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Alabama Arts Radio podcast for June 9th New Dance Drama

As part of the Council’s International Exchange in April 2009, Diana Green interviews members of the New Dance Drama, from Pietrasanta, Italy. This Graham based modern dance company, with artistic director Adria Ferrali, spent three weeks in residency, rehearsing at the Montgomery Ballet studios, teaching and performing at Alabama State University, and performing as part of the sculpture Festival in Sylacauga. Adria Ferrali is joined in the interview by her dancers Thomas Johansen, Angelica Stella, and Sabrina Davini.

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Friday, May 29, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio Podcast for June 2nd, Storytellers Bruce Walker and Joseph Trimble

Alabama Center for Traditional Culture director Joey Brackner interviews Bruce Walker and Joseph Trimble of the Alabama Storytelling Association

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio podcast for May 26th, Moundville Museum Betsy Irwin and Jay McGirt

Alabama Center for Traditional Culture director Joey Brackner interviews Betsy Irwin of Moundville Archaeological Park and Creek Indian weaver Jay McGirt about Indian art and the creation of new exhibits for the Moundville Museum.
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Alabama Arts Radio podcast for May 19th, Grove Hill Arts Council Terry Norris

In this program Community Arts Program Manager Randy Shoults interviews Terry Norris, founding President of the Grove Hill Arts Council (GHAC). They discuss the various programs, events and town mural project sponsored by the GHAC.
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Alabama Arts Radio podcast for May 12th, Willie King

To honor the late Willie King as the 2009 Alabama Folk Heritage Award winner this program is a rebroadcast of Rebecca Ryals interviewing Willie King at the 2003 Freedom Creek Blues Festival in Old Memphis near Aliceville, includes musical examples.
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Alabama Arts Radio podcast for May 5th, Beth Chapman

2009 Distinguished Artist Award winner Beth Nielsen Chapman is interviewed by Arts Council Executive Director Al Head about her life as a popular singer/songwriter and as an educator. They also discuss Chapman's inspirations and her unique process of songwriting.
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Alabama Arts Radio podcast for April 28th, Scooter Muse

Joey Brackner interviews Scooter Muse, the virtuoso banjo and guitar player from Florence, Alabama. Muse discusses his musical development and his continuing fascination with Celtic music.

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Saturday, April 18, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio podcast for April 21st, Valentina Fogher

Georgine Clarke interviews Valentina Fogher, Collaborator of Cultural Activities for the City of Pietrasanta, Italy, about the Cultural Exchange Exchange between the State of Alabama and Italy. The program began in the summer of 2008 when Alabama took artists, musicians, exhibitions, film, and literature to Pietrasanta. From April 16-May 2, 2009, Italian artists, dancers, musicians, and film will be in Alabama. The focus of activities will be in Montgomery, with additional programs in Birmingham and Sylacauga. The City of Montgomery will sign a Sister City agreement with Pietrasanta. The theme of the Exchange this year is Michelangelo and His Heirs.

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Friday, April 10, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio podcast for April 14th, Poet Jim Murphy

Poet Jim Murphy is interviewed by Jeanie Thompson, executive director of the Alabama Writers’ Forum. Murphy is the author of Heaven Overland, published this year by Kennesaw State University Press. He is associate professor of English at the University of Montevallo, and his poems have appeared in The Southern Review, Southern Humanities Review, Brooklyn Review, Painted Bride Quarterly, Cimarron Review, Fine Madness, The Alaska Quarterly Review, Puerto del Sol, and in other journals, as well as in The Memphis Sun (Kent State University Press, 2000). He serves as Director of the Montevallo Literary Festival, held on campus each spring, and as an editor in poetry for Red Mountain Review, a Birmingham-based literary journal.

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Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio podcast for April 7th, Author Mary Ward Brown

Randy Shoults, Community Arts and Literature Program Manager, travels to Selma to attend the public library's 'Lunch at the Library' program series and record their guest writer, Mary Ward Brown as she discusses her just published memoir, Fanning the Spark. After Ms. Ward’s presentation, long time friend and Instructor of English at University of North Alabama, Pam Kingsbury conducts a short interview.

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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Alabama Arts Podcast for March 31st 2009

Alabama native and National Old-Time Banjo Champion Robert Montgomery talks with Deborah Boykin about his musical influences and the upcoming Chicken and Egg Festival in Moulton on April 18-19, 2009. In the program he demonstrates old-time banjo styles and discusses his recordings.

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Saturday, March 14, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio podcast for March 17th, Christian Harmony Singing School

Steve Grauberger visits County Line Church in Corner Alabama to interview Cassie Allen and Emily Creel about their Christian Harmony singing school and next day singing held February 7th and 8th, 2009. Discussed in this program is the history of the 1958 Alabama edition of William Walker's Christian Harmony and the necessity of holding singing schools to teach shape-note singing. Also included in the program are songs recorded during this year's event.
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Saturday, March 07, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio podcast for March 10th, Folklorist Paddy Bowman

Deborah Boykin interviews folklorist Paddy Bowman, Director for Local Learning. The National Network for Folk Arts in Education about her recent workshop for Alabama educators at the statewide Arts Education Summit. Bowman, who moved to north Alabama as a teenager, uses this experience to explain the importance of community and culture in the classroom.
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Sunday, February 22, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio podcast for March 3rd, 24th annual Clay Conference

In honor of the 24th annual Alabama Clay Conference sponsored by the Alabama Craft Council and planned for Huntsville March 13-15, Georgine Clarke interviews Chris Greenman and Steve Loucks. Greenman is on the art faculty of Alabama State University and Loucks teaches at Jacksonville State University. Both are art professors as well as professional craft artists working in clay. The discussion covers the process of producing ceramic pieces, marketing, and the importance of the annual conference.

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Alabama Arts Radio podcast for Feb. 24th, Jerry Brown folk potter

To help promote the upcoming Jerry Brown Arts Festival , this program is a rebroadcast of Joey Brackner interviewing Jerry Brown about the process of pottery making at his shop in Hamilton Alabama. This year the Jerry Brown Arts Festival is located at the Old WalMart Building at 1500 Military Street South, in Hamilton on March 7-8, 2009.

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Thursday, February 12, 2009

Alabama Arts Radio for Feb 17th, Cinque Cullar

Barbara Edwards, Deputy Director, interviews Cinque Cullar. Mr. Cullar is founder and artistic director for the Tribe of Judah, a youth gospel group of students from Alabama State University and the Montgomery community. Mr. Cullar and Ms. Edwards talks about the newly released Black Belt Gospel Tour CD featuring students from Tuskegee Booker T.Washington High School, Greensboro East High School, Selma High School, Francis Marion High School and Judson College Voices of Praise.

Alabama Arts Radio for Feb 10th, Kathleen Driskell

Jeanie Thompson, executive director of the Alabama Writers’ Forum, interviews poet and teacher Kathleen Driskell, author of Seed Across Snow and Laughing Sickness. Driskell’s poems have appeared in leading literary journals and she teaches in the Spalding University Brief Residency MFA Writing Program in Louisville, KY. Driskell will be in Alabama April 17-18, 2009, to participate in an Alabama High School Teacher Workshop on Friday and the Alabama Book Festival Poetry Tent on Saturday.
Driskell reads from Seed Across Snow and talks about her subjects in poems – domestic emergencies, motherhood, and everyday life that resonates with lush language and a deeply held sense of the world’s value. She also discusses teaching creative writing, and the value of the arts in our schools.
Thompson interviewed Driskell in the studios of WFPL in Louisville, Kentucky, and extends thanks to the staff for assistance.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Alabama Arts Podcast for January 27th 2009

This is a rebroadcast of our program on the Alabama Arts Education Summit 2008. This year the Summit will take place in Troy, Alabama February 18-20, 2009. The theme for this year's statewide conference is ”Speaking with One Voice." In this radio show, performing arts program manager Yvette Daniel interviews the four partners that were instrumental in the planning and implementation of the 2008 Summit: Diana Green, arts in education program manager at the Council, Donna Russell, executive director of the Alabama Alliance for Arts Education, Martha Lockett, executive director of the Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts, and Sara Wright, director of academic innovative initiatives at the Alabama State Department of Education.
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Alabama Arts Podcast for January 20th 2009

This program is a rebroadcast of Alabama shapenote music and its history, in preparation for this year's Annual Capitol Rotunda Four-Book Shapenote Singing that will be held January 31st at the Alabama Department of Archives and History off of Union St between Adams and Washington in Montgomery. The singing will start at 9:30 am and end at 3pm. The public is welcome to come and listen or sing. For more information call 334-242-4076, x-225.
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Friday, January 09, 2009

Alabama Arts Podcast for January 13th 2009

In the first half of the program Joey Brackner interviews Film maker Robert Clem about his new film Gospel Highway. In the second half Joey interviews Auguster Maul, lead singer for the Delta Aires Quartet.
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Alabama Arts Podcast for January 6th 2009

This program is a rebroadcast of ASCA folklorist Joey Brackner interviewing preeminent Alabama historian Dr. Wayne Flynt about his book Alabama in the Twentieth Century. In the interview Dr. Flynt outlines the significant cultural contributions of Alabamians during the late century. Wayne Flynt is the Distinguished University Professor of History at Auburn University.
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